AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine rollout would proceed despite lower efficacy against new variants, according to FDA.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine rollout would proceed despite that the said vaccine had lower efficacy against new variants, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
GMA News Online reported that the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said that the expected rollout of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines in Q1 of 2021 would proceed unhampered pending findings that the said vaccine will not be effective against the dominant original COVID-19 variant in the Philippines.
FDA Director-General Eric Domingo made the response during the Laging Handa briefing in light of South Africa deferring its AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine rollout since it had been found to have a low efficacy rate against the COVID-19 variant found there.
“Naghihintay pa tayo ng datos nila sa bagong variants. Saka wala pa namang epekto ito sa atin kasi iyong South Africa variant ay hindi pa nakikita sa Pilipinas. Kahit iyong UK variant, kakaunti pa lang. Iyong circulating virus dito ay kahawig na kahawig pa rin ng original [variant ng] virus na ginamit noong dinevelop iyong AstraZeneca vaccine. Kaya iyan pa rin ang EUA natin, walang pagbabago ito,” Domingo said.
READ ALSO: President Duterte Prohibits Customs, Airport Personnel From Opening COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies
Domingo was referring to the emergency use authorization (EUA) issued to AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine which the Food and Drug Administration found had a 70% efficacy rate — a rate that increased after the second vaccine dose was administered four to 12 weeks after.
Also, Domingo said that the World Health Organization (WHO) had yet to see any different indication of decreasing efficacy rate for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
However, Domingo clarified that the emergency use authorization issued to AstraZeneca and the efficacy rate of the said vaccine were not set in stone.
A number of local government units (LGUs) had signed agreements with AstraZeneca for the supply of vaccines to their constituents.
For more news and updates, you may feel free to visit this site more often. You may also visit Newspapers.ph via our official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
